


Bad Luck and No Hope

by spookyawards_archivist



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Angst, Episode: s03e19 Hell Money, F/M, One Shot, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-03-22
Updated: 2004-03-22
Packaged: 2019-04-27 13:39:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14426571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spookyawards_archivist/pseuds/spookyawards_archivist
Summary: Mulder and Scully ponder Glenn Chao's fate in this Hell Money Post-Ep. piece.





	Bad Luck and No Hope

**Author's Note:**

> Note from alice ttlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Spooky Awards](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Spooky_Awards), and was moved to the AO3 as part of the Open Doors project in 2018. I tried to reach out to all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are the creator and would like to claim this work, please contact me using the e-mail address on [SpookyAwards' collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/spookyawards/profile).

Title: Bad Luck and No Hope 

Author: Pattie 

Rated: PG 

Category: Post-Episode for After_the _Fact. 

Spoilers: Hell Money 

Summary: Mulder and Scully ponder the fate of Glen Chao. 

Archive: Gossamer, AftertheFact, any others please ask. 

Disclaimers: The plotline, characters, Mulder, Scully and Skinner belong to Chris Carter, Ten Thirteen, and Fox Studios. But these are my afterthoughts. 

Office of The X-Files,  
Fox Mulder  
Dana Scully 

"The symbol for _ghost_ had been written in Chinese on the inside of the cremation chamber. Why?" Mulder wondered aloud in the basement office. 

"Perhaps just some joke by a bitter client?" Scully asked with a slight grin. 

"Well, Scully, I doubt it was a dissatisfied customer. The Chinese believe in luck, in honoring their ancestors, and in particular, they do not want to shame their ancestors. No, Scully, I think there was a supernatural element to the placement of the symbol." 

"Mulder, that gaming room had to be the best place for any haunting or spiritual visitation. Whatever you wish to call it. Still, perhaps it was just a prank." 

"People write graffitti in those ovens everyday, Scully? I don't think so. And Chao, just disappearing without a trace." 

"I think he was afraid of another type of dishonor, Mulder. A policeman with the force. Protecting the game. That would bring dishonor to him not only as a cop, but as a member of that community. Let's just write up the report and get it behind us. I'm sure San Francisco P.D. will find him." Scully pressed the enter key and slapped a folder against the desk. "Mulder. We requisitioned for printer paper three days ago! I have a dental appointment today and Skinner wants this thing on his desk... Now, THIS is bad luck." 

"Guess they lost it. I'll call upstairs and get them to..." 

Scully stood abruptly. "I'll go grab a ream from them myself." This case had been bothering her just as much as it had her partner, and it hadn't escaped him. 

"Scully, wait." 

"It can't _wait_ , Mulder. This needs to be on Skinner's desk **ASAP."**

"No," he calmly stated. "Sit down. Please. Please?" 

Scully had the look of a chastised school kid on her face. "All right. What?" 

"Is there something you're not telling me? Is the Chinatown case bothering you?" 

Sculy stared at her lap for a moment, then looked up. "Selling body parts. Win, win a tidy sum of money. How can anyone who calls himself a doctor participate in that kind of... of skullduggery?" 

"He wasn't ethical, Scully. He was a profiteer more than anything else." 

"Yes, I know. And that's what bothers me the most, Mulder. That girl was so sick, and she was about to lose her father. Wu knew that. He knew, Mulder." 

"I know. And I know that as a doctor and a human being, you are very offended, to say the least. What really bothers me is Glenn Chao's vanishing act." 

"He probably ran, Mulder." 

"Something tells me he didn't just run." 

"Oh, no? I think a sufficient number of people were putting him Number One on their hate list, Mulder. Perhaps the members of the public who trusted him with their lives?" 

"No, No, I don't think so." 

"Most certainly not a ghost, Mulder! Hey, if that's what you're thinking, fine! I have another theory." 

"Murder?" 

"Either that, or suicide." 

"Well, at any rate, I guess we won't know until he's found, will we?" 

Scully gave it a moment's thought. "Will we?" 

The agents just stared at each other for a long time. 

"Paper," Scully finally said. 

"Sure." Mulder left the office as Scully contemplated her disgust with the arrogant Chinese doctor. 

She could still hear his words, as his cigarette burned low in the interrogation room: "...but life without hope... So, hope is what I gave these men." She typed one more comment into her report. 

"This man claimed to give hope. If he claims life without hope as a living hell is the reason he did it, Dr. Wu will have many, many years to have his own living hell." 

**END**   
  


#### If you enjoyed this story, please send feedback to Pattie


End file.
